With 650 buses and more than 350,000 passengers daily, Lothian Buses in Edinburgh has 55 routes, numerous depots and ticket stations.
The operations team at Lothian Buses is responsible for managing the health, safety and security of its customers and staff using a video system from Siemens, which keeps a track on the fleet by overseeing activity on all bus routes. A recent technology upgrade has enabled Lothian Buses to migrate from analogue CCTV to an IP-based system, allowing continuous monitoring of operational locations around the city.
A new control room at Lothian Buses’ Head Office in the centre of Edinburgh acts as the central hub. A relationship with the City of Edinburgh Council meant there was an opportunity to fit with the council’s public space CCTV system, giving the bus company access to real-time video monitoring of traffic across the city. By capturing all the available video feeds from across the city in one control room, Lothian Buses could achieve situational awareness, protecting its customers, staff and vehicles.
Siemens was contracted to deliver the upgrade. The project began with engineers assessing all of Lothian Buses’ sites to establish which legacy CCTV could be migrated from analogue to IP and which sites would require new CCTV to meet operational requirements. The new cameras were then installed, some of them high definition, and the migration of old systems completed to enable all equipment to sit on one IP platform.
At the same time, work started on the new central operations hub to allow all the CCTV feeds to be viewed in one place via a monitoring wall. The control room was fitted with access control including video and audio intercom, so that only authorised staff can enter. Capacity was built into the hub to allow for further integration of other building technologies such as network-wide access control, fire and intruder detection and building energy management systems.
The 20-strong team within the Lothian Buses’ new control room have direct radio communication with buses, while a new Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system is allowing control operators to monitor an individual bus, specific bus route or whole bus fleet. Lothian Buses can keep customers informed of any changes to arrival or departure times via its live website service and Twitter feed. It has also recently established phone apps and live digital information boards at bus stops, with service information relayed from the team at the control centre.
The hub will shortly become home to a team from the City of Edinburgh Council’s Urban Traffic Control department, thereby providing further efficiencies.
Siemens adds that it was able to provide financial assistance through a Managed Service solution available from Siemens Financial Services. This meant Lothian Buses was not exposed to the initial capital outlay for the work, but could spread the cost over an agreed term. This fixed-price agreement covered all the initial upgrade work, besides maintenance and service required during the contract period.
Blane McConnell, of UK Siemens Fire Safety and Security Solutions, said: “By migrating all equipment to sit on one IP platform, Lothian Buses can now maximise the use of all available CCTV assets, helping it to operate an effective and responsive service. In particular, IP allows for future expansion so additional cameras can be integrated into the network or more interfaces established to increase viewing capabilities. Our Managed Service solution allows Lothian Buses to gain the immediate operational benefits the technology brings, while guaranteed fixed annual costs lead to improved cash flow and access to regular upgrades to the latest technology. Lothian Buses has adopted a cutting-edge, innovative approach to its video management system and is a great example of how an effective CCTV solution can be used proactively to improve the experience of the end user.”
Alan Black, deputy head of operations (Bus) at Lothian Buses, added: “We worked closely with Siemens to specially select all the equipment best suited to our needs. Only by allowing our control room operators to be proactive in managing day-to-day challenges and situations can we ensure the smooth running of our services and that customers have real-time access to updates. We share our traffic intelligence with local customer services and radio stations to ensure we keep Edinburgh moving, and we are continually looking for further opportunities to enhance our offer. Updating and migrating our CCTV system has been a huge success, underpinned by an excellently designed, delivered and managed control room.
“Working with Siemens has allowed us to define a common purpose, ensuring all upgrades are tailored to our security requirements and operations, optimising our situational awareness capabilities and, ultimately, helping us deliver the best service for passengers.”
Lothian Buses will be running the new Edinburgh Tram Project from 2014, designed to connect the airport and city centre. For more on the Siemens Building Technologies division visit www.siemens.co.uk/buildingtechnologies
